Looking for contractors

[Javier Rosales]

Hi BP. Am looking for good licensed and insured contractors in Bakersfield,Ca. To meet and greet and discuss future rehabbing. Any recommendations?

[Chris Mason]

General contractors rule the roost in California. There's no point in asking this question until you own a property, or are willing to pay a GC $750 for a basic one hour consultation, and you're driving to them, unless the property you own is next door to a job they are doing.

GC I know, Sacramento: "I charged $1250 for something that took 10 minutes. Not otherwise worth my time. I told them that they should just do it themselves, but they insisted that I do it..."

Also GC I know, San Diego: "I pay $50/hr for someone that shovels dirt, immigration status be damned."

Also GC that I know: "I've been raising my rates 20% per year for the last 5 years, and the market has not even blinked." He is in his 70s.

Also GC I know, Oakland, mortgage applicant of mine: "Working with real estate 'investors' who do not even own real estate is stupid, my income went up 40% when I stopped working with them, I don't bother returning the call. If you don't have 30 units under management or ownership and/or aren't in the commercial space, you're a waste of my time."

(GCs get mortgages too, so I see their tax returns, etc.)